1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a locking electrical connector such as a connector used to connect between items of electrical equipment or to connect electrical equipment to a power supply.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some prior art connectors have been designed to reduce the ease with which the connector, whether in the form of a plug or socket, may be removed from or inadvertently may fall out from a mating socket or plug. A known solution, used commonly in computer equipment, is for screws or clips to be provided at either side of the connector to retain the connector attached to the equipment. However screwing or clipping the connector to the equipment is laborious and in many cases is rendered difficult by space limitations.
To address this problem it is known for a connector to be provided with a locking mechanism which a user needs to operate in order to separate the connector from a mating connector component.
An example of a well-known and successful locking connector is that described in our UK patent GB 2383202.
However, particularly in respect of computers and similar such electrical equipment the continuing drive for compactness of construction has resulted in a substantial reduction in the space envelope that conventionally has surrounded a removable connector.
Thus, for example, recently introduced types of PCU feature in proximity to the connector position additional metallic tabs or handles for easy removal from a server back. Due to the compactness of equipment design the release tab provided on many types of lockable electrical connectors prevents insertion, and in other cases the limited space envelope in proximity to the connector prevents access to the release control at such time as it may be required to remove the connector.
Typically the reduction of space envelope around a connector, when in situ connected to a mating plug or socket of an electrical equipment, is confined to a region which extends away from the equipment by a distance no greater than the length of the connector. Accordingly it should be possible to overcome the problem arising from the reduced space envelope by providing connectors having a longer length body. Thus the release control may then be spaced further from the interface end of the connector, at a position clear of, for example, any metallic tabs or handles. However that solution suffers the disadvantage that it would substantially negate the space reduction advantage which the more compactly designed equipment seeks to achieve. That is because a greater space would be required between the equipment and the wall or other surface in front of which the equipment is positioned in order to accommodate the longer length connector.